Sarah Marshall

A 38-year-old Sheffield man has been jailed for two years, after a jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting a young mum while her toddler was in the house.

Following a two day trial at Sheffield Crown Court, Luke Ibbotson, of Harthill Road, Woodthorpe was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault carried out against a 20-year-old woman.

Recorder Richard Woolfall sentenced the 38-year-old to two years in prison for the sex offences, and also added an additional four months to his sentence for breaching a suspended sentence for a battery charge, bringing his total custody term to two years and four months in prison.

During the opening of the trial, jurors were told how the assaults took place on August 9 last year, while the woman was home alone with her two-year-old daughter.

Prosecuting, Richard Sheldon, explained how Ibbotson was given permission to enter the house by the woman.

Once inside, Mr Sheldon said the 38-year-old began touching the woman inappropriately even though she told him to stop and that she 'didn't like to be touched' on a number of occasions.

Mr Sheldon said the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, hoped that Ibbotson would stop sexually assaulting her once her daughter was present.

"She went upstairs, saying she had to get her two-year-old dressed.

"She started making her breakfast," said Mr Sheldon

He added: "After a short time he started touching her again."

A short time later Ibbotson and the woman went into her garden, where he produced a knife.

Ibbotson is not reported to have threatened the woman with the knife, however.

After eventually leaving the property, Ibbotson returned to the woman's house at around 10pm that evening.

She refused to let him in, and he kept banging on the door and shouting at the woman.

Mr Sheldon said: "The defendant said: 'I'm not a rapist, I'm not a paedo, I'm not a monster.

He added: "'You better not tell the police'."

It was after this incident that the young woman reported Ibbotson to the police, the court was told.

Ibbotson was arrested at 1.10am on August 10, and under police interview he denied the allegations of sexual assault, but said he had been at the house with the woman.

It took jurors less than a day to find Ibbotson guilty of both counts, by way of a majority verdict.